Night vision

About: Night vision is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 6004 publications have been published within this topic receiving 67372 citations.

Color-corrected laser illumination system for night vision applications

Abstract: A color-corrected lighting system for night vision applications includes a near infrared light source and a thin-sheet optical element disposed a distance from the near infrared source. The optical element includes an input surface for receiving light from the near infrared source and an output surface for emitting the received light in a desired emission pattern. The system also includes a visible, non-red light source in the form of a plate having a plurality of non-red LEDs arranged thereon. The plate is proximate a surface of the optical element such that the output surface of the optical element emits the visible light to mask the emitted near infrared light. A camera is adapted to receive the near infrared light from the near infrared light source reflected off an object within a camera field of view, and a display images objects detected within the camera field of view.

Context enhancement through infrared vision: a modified fusion scheme

Abstract: In the night vision applications, visual and infrared images are often fused for an improved awareness of situation or environment. The fusion algorithms can generate a composite image that retains most important information from source images for human perception. The state of the art includes manipulating in the color spaces and implementing pixel-level fusion with multiresolution algorithms. In this paper, a modified scheme based on multiresolution fusion is proposed to process monochrome visual and infrared images. The visual image is first enhanced based on corresponding infrared image. The final result is obtained by fusing the enhanced image with the visual image. The process highlights the features from visual image, which is most suitable for human perception.

Infrared Thermography and its Applications: A Review

Abstract: Thermal imaging camera is a device which is used to detect infrared radiations emitted from an object to give a thermal profile of the scene. This device was initially used for surveillance purpose and as night vision camera. With the advancement in technology, there are significant additions to camera capabilities and prices has decreased. Therefore, infrared thermography (IRT) has grown to become very popular and widely accepted tool as it enables temperature measurement in real time. IRT is very convenient, fast, reliable, non-contact and cost-effective method which can be practiced for condition monitoring as well as for preventive and predictive maintenance in different areas such as electrical stations, buildings surveys, mechanical components and equipments. This survey presents a review of the advancement in IRT cameras and its applications in various fields. The basics of IRT and thermal radiation are discussed in details.

Seeing What an Extinct Monkey Saw

Abstract: TAMPA, FLORIDA-- About 1200 researchers attended the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists here from 14 to 17 April Paleontologists reported using computerized tomography scans on the skull of a 20-million-year-old monkey long thought to have been nocturnal--and concluded that it lacked night vision

InGaAs focal plane array developments at III-V Lab

Abstract: SWIR detection band benefits from natural (sun, night glow, thermal radiation) or artificial (eye safe lasers) photons sources combined to low atmospheric absorption and specific contrast compared to visible wavelengths. It gives the opportunity to address a large spectrum of applications such as defense and security (night vision, active imaging), space (earth observation), transport (automotive safety) or industry (non destructive process control). InGaAs material appears as a good candidate to satisfy SWIR detection needs. The lattice matching with InP constitutes a double advantage to this material: attractive production capacity and uncooled operation thanks to low dark current level induced by high quality material. For few years, III-VLab has been studying InGaAs imagery, gathering expertise in InGaAs material growth and imaging technology respectively from Alcatel-Lucent and Thales, its two mother companies. This work has lead to put quickly on the market a 320x256 InGaAs module, exhibiting high performances in terms of dark current, uniformity and quantum efficiency. In this paper, we present the last developments achieved in our laboratory, mainly focused on increasing the pixels number to VGA format associated to pixel pitch decrease (15μm) and broadening detection spectrum toward visible wavelengths. Depending on targeted applications, different Read Out Integrated Circuits (ROIC) have been used. Low noise ROIC have been developed by CEA LETI to fit the requirements of low light level imaging whereas logarithmic ROIC designed by NIT allows high dynamic imaging adapted for automotive safety.